Articles
Priest Charged with DUI in Texas Crash
The Reverend Karel Fink was driving a pickup truck relatively slowly in Smithville, Texas on Monday night, but he still crashed into a restaurant, injuring 10 people and ending up 10 feet inside the building. Fink, 61, was found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of more than 0.16 mg/mL, which is twice the Texas legal BAC limit of 0.08. He was issued a DUI.
No Serious Injuries
Five of the injured restaurant patrons were taken to hospitals in Smithville and Austin, about 40 miles to the northwest. No one was seriously injured. Fink told the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers who arrived on the scene that he had accidentally stepped on the gas rather than the break.
Recent Alcohol Abuse Treatment
Rev. Fink is pastor of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Smithville. He recently underwent an alcohol abuse treatment program, and was released from the treatment facility just a few weeks ago, according to an Austin Diocese spokesman. After the crash, he was taken to the Bastrop County Jail and was released the next day on his own recognizance.
More Help On the Way
Bishop Gregory Aymond of the Catholic Diocese of Austin said of the incident, "Obviously [Rev. Fink] needs more treatment to continue his recovery…A priest should never be a danger to the lives of others. Father Karel will receive the necessary help for his illness."
(Source: www.washingtonpost.com; AP Texas News)
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